Rit (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.06.1976, Page 92
The results obtained for the 6 experimental series in question are
shown in Figs. 23 and 24. The values of KH and KL obtained separa-
tely for each series are also given in Figs. 23 and 24 together with
their standard deviations.
The values obtained for KH and KT, in the various series and by
the two different methods apparently show some inconsistency. It
is not, however, possible to state whether some of the series are
more reliable than others, or whether one of the two methods used
to estimate the constants gives more reliable data. KH and KL were
finally calculated by ordinary regression analysis using all the
data obtained for the six experimental series in Figs. 23 and 24.
By this method the following mean values and standard deviations
were obtained:
Kh = 1.87 ± 0.07%o per 100 m
Kl = 0.128 ± 0.010%o perkm
Kh is much less than the altitude effect reported for Greenland
(5%0 per 100 m) and for Central Europe and North America (4%0
per 100 m), but very similar to that found on the west coast of
Norway (1.6%0 per 100 m) (Dansgaard 1961, Dansgaard et al. 1973,
Epstein et al. 1959, Friedman et al. 1970 and Moser et al. 1974).
Dansgaard explains the experimentally low altitude effect for
the west coast of Norway by the fact that the average lifting of the
relatively thick precipitating clouds is much less than the increase
in geographic altitude, because only the bottom layers of the clouds
are lifted corresponding to the altitude. Both meteorological cir-
cumstances and the topography are similar in West Norway and
Iceland, i.e. thick clouds giving heavy precipitation and usually
rapid increase in altitude towards inland. Therefore if valid for
West Norway, the above explanation also holds for Iceland.
If the altitude effect reported for the above mentioned places
also includes the horizontal inland parameter, and in some of the
cases it obviously does, the different values obtained for the altitude-
inland effect can, however, also be explained satisfactorily by using
the equation:
A8d = Kh-H + Kd-L
When the altitude increases very rapidly with distance from
the coast the vertical term (Kh-H) of the equation is the most
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